What excitement when the fountain was delivered, after a few weeks of anticipation and faith that the fabricator would “get it” this time. It’s all we had imagined: Gracefully curving, it echoes the lines of the house and is of a material that complements its modern character: Cor-ten steel that is formulated to rust naturally and to provide a garden sculpture that works well in this landscape. Water gently flows over all sides and disappears in the gravel bed underneath (that hides a sub-terranean reservoir from where it is pumped up again).

This low-volume, water-conserving feature provides constant entertainment as the homeowner sees it from her kitchen window, and will be even more attractive to the grandchildren that can step up closely and play with the water (anticipating this we placed a sitting area next to it.)

Nothing of these few words reveal of course some “hick-ups” that the landscape contractor had to overcome first (and that are not un-usual in the landscape field): Tweak the water flow so it sheets evenly over the edges; wait a few days until the water started to clear up after the first rapid rusting which left the water murky. Now the water is almost clear, and in a month or so it should have completely cleared up.

It’s almost perfect: Just wait and see it when all the plants are “in” and also the (low voltage) landscape lights that will illuminate it at night; I think it will be beautiful.

I am working on a project in Carlsbad where I have designed a steel fountain. The fabricator’s first attempt was not “inspired” – you can see the kink in the back side of the container.

I had imagined a cor-ten steel container, naturally rusted, with a swerving design that would repeat the curved façade of the residence.. The water spouts (you can see them clearly in the photo) will make the water run over the edges with a ripple.

After seeing the fabricator’s first attempt (here still with the protective coating), the contractor built a mock-up from wire mesh that looked like a curved cage. This model was very helpful to determine where to change angles, curvature, height and length to create a more elegant form. The mock-up is now back in the fabricator’s shop, and we are waiting excitedly – will he “get” it, in time for the holidays, as he has promised?

As a designer, I don’t meet clients at every project whose taste and dreams I can “read” immediately and who are open to my ideas. For this project I developed a concept of rather unusual materials and layouts, and I was thrilled when the clients received my suggestions with lively interest and reciprocated with creativity and lots of stimulating ideas of their own.

In this relatively small garden, it seemed as though the spaces needed for dining, lounging and just hanging out would leave us with lots of paved areas with no room left for softening and interesting plants. We therefore opted for raised planters as they not only make use of the smallest spaces by “going vertical” but also create dividers and add “weight” to the landscape. Since in a small landscape they are exposed to close scrutiny, it is important that they be made from a good-looking material. We found that controlled-rusted (or “weathered”) steel would work well with the house’s architecture and the existing copper accents used as end caps on roof beams and fence posts.

Shade sails protect the dining area from the hot noon sun

Now that weathered steel was introduced in a “cubist” way, we not only used it for the planter troughs, but also for several gas-fired lights and a low-volume fountain, as well as for the edging of lawn, of the raised sitting area and of the pebble-filled French drain around the pool. And from here the other “hardscape” materials seemed to flow seamlessly: Glass tiles for the pool; bamboo for the outdoor kitchen cabinets, and synthetic fabric for the shade sails.

Water in the fountain adds sounds and movement

As we went from conceptual design to reality, creative solutions were worked out, from unexpected finger-prints on the weathered steel and the inner workings of the fountain troughs, to the finishes of concrete and stone. With the collaboration of all parties involved and the contractor’s meticulous attention to detail (Schenck Building Company in La Jolla at http://www.schenckbuildingcompany.com ) this project was well and timely executed.

"Christiane, your design is beautiful. Viewers love the design and color. Thank you so much for all your support while the project was being developed. It would have been more stressful for me had you not held my hand regularly.”